A Calming Effect [Part One]

Happy Belated Ace Week! I got unexpectedly busy at work so it's a little late, sorry!

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“Get the fuck out of my room.”

It took every ounce of self-control Izuku possessed to keep from laughing, with the pathetic, croaky way the words came out, but somehow he managed to contain it, only losing a tiny snort that he was pretty sure Katsuki hadn’t noticed.

“Okay, Kacchan,” he humoured him. “I’ll leave in just a second.”

The desk in front of Izuku’s had been empty all day, and it had honestly kind of terrified him. Katsuki was so stubborn, never willing to admit when he was under the weather, so when Izuku had shot his hand into the air only to get a bored “he just has a cold, Midoriya” in return, it just hadn’t sat right with him.

“I brought you some soup,” he offered, when Katsuki just muttered to himself crankily. “And a hug.”

“What the fuck are you-”

A coughing fit cut off Katsuki’s anger, and Izuku managed a tiny smile, despite his concern.

“Sorry, that was mean,” he acknowledged. “I was just teasing, Kacchan. Here, eat up.”

He held out a warm mug, and Katsuki lifted his head weakly, finally cracking his eyes open.

“Does it have carrots in it?” he asked, in a whisper this time to keep the coughing at bay.

“Who do you think I am, Kacchan?”

Katsuki accepted finally, taking a long sip of the hot broth, and another little smile twisted at Izuku’s lips when he’d swallowed it down.

“A ton of pumpkin, though.”

Katsuki’s head shot up, betrayal in his eyes, and Izuku wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so guilty in his life.

“I’m kidding,” he assured him. “No carrots, no pumpkin, no sweet potatoes, nothing even remotely orange. I promise.”

“Jerk,” Katsuki huffed, without a hint of bite to it. “Doesn’t give you the right to barge in here.”

Truth be told, Izuku did feel bad about that part. Their entire class knew that Katsuki’s bedroom was off-limits, it had been that way since the moment they moved in.

“Sorry,” he said softly. “I was worried.”

“Whatever,” Katsuki huffed. “Soup’s good I guess.”

“You’re welcome,” Izuku smiled knowingly. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“No.”

Katsuki took another sip from his soup, and Izuku waited knowingly.

“Maybe a blanket.”

“Have you got one somewhere or should I go find one?”

He waved at his closet vaguely, and Izuku pulled the door open, pausing when he laid eyes on the stripy blanket inside.

“Well that’s just rude.”

“The fuck you on about?” Katsuki grumbled, setting down his empty mug and burrowing back into his bedding. “I didn’t say shit.”

“Oh, not you,” Izuku assured him, spreading the thick, knitted wool over Katsuki’s curled-up form. “Just the universe, you know?”

“What are you yapping about?”

“Making you sick on Ace week, it just seems rude.”

Katsuki froze, and Izuku dragged the desk chair over to his side, settling in to keep him company.

“Yeah,” Katsuki said finally, one eye cracking open to peek at him. “Rude as fuck.”

“Did you do anything special for it?” Izuku asked. “Other than gettingsick. Is the blanket new?”

“No,” Katsuki shrugged slightly. “To both.”

“Oh? That’s a shame. I would have shared my cupcakes if I’d known.”

Katsuki raised an eyebrow, and Izuku smiled to himself softly.

“Uraraka made me cupcakes at the start of the week,” he explained. “Purple ones.”

“Oh.”

“It was really sweet. She baked them in black cases too, and put white frosting on them, and little silver sprinkles. I have a photo if you want to see?”

Katsuki shrugged, so Izuku dug his phone out of his pocket, pulling up the photo and turning the screen around.

“I didn’t know,” Katsuki said, opening his other eye to see properly.

“Which part?”

“You being Ace.”

“Oh,” Izuku chuckled. “Well, Demi, technically. But Ace umbrella and all that.”

“Sorry.”

“I think that’s the second time in our lives that you’ve ever said that,” Izuku snorted, extra amused when Katsuki smiled slightly too. “Who knew it just took a minor misunderstanding about sexuality to get there.”

“Shut up.”

Izuku mimed zipping his lips, smiling wider all the same, and Katsuki closed his eyes again pointedly.

“You’re standard Ace?” Izukuprompted.

“Mm-hm. That shit’s gross.”

“Pretty much,” Izuku agreed. “With the right person it seems like it could be fun, but it all seems kinda... icky.”

“Rather just read a book.”

“Ooo, what are you reading at the moment?” Izuku sat up a little taller, reaching for the novel on Katsuki’s bedside table. “Is thisa biography?”

“Mm-hm. Some old fucker no one has heard of, who spent his life trying to beat a dude who could sense all his attacks coming. What a dumb quirk.”

“Oh?” Izuku smiled wryly. “Maybe he just favoured his right hook too much.”

“Shut up, nerd.”

Izuku just chuckled to himself, unaffected by the insult, and Katsuki managed another tiny smile of his own, though his eyes didn’t open again.

“Aro?” Katsuki asked quietly.

“Hell no. I love all the mushy, sappy, romantic stuff. Holding hands, going on cute dates, being all sickeningly in love while your friends roll their eyes at you – perfection. It’s just hard, I guess, to find someone. Someone I like, who likes me back, and is okay with me being Demi, not being ruled by teenage hormones that want me to fuck everything. It’s a lot to ask.”

“Just find another Ace person,” Katsuki grumbled.

“Are you offering?” Izuku teased.

Katsuki’s cheeks turned pink, but he didn’t say a word, and when Izuku opened his mouth, no words came out.

“Are you?” Izuku clarified. “Because I’d do it, for the record.”

“Why the fuck would you do that?”

“You’re Kacchan.”

“And?”

“And... You’re basically perfect? You’re handsome, and funny, and dedicated, and talented, and intelligent, and... You’re Kacchan.”

“What the fuck do you mean, basically?”

Izuku laughed brightly, and Katsuki managed a smile of his own, eyes opening again to watch Izuku’s little burst of joy.

“Sorry,” Izuku said finally, when he’d gotten himself under control a little. “You’re right.”

“Damn right I am.”

“Even when you’re sick,” Izuku grinned, reaching out to brush blond hair back from Katsuki’s sweaty forehead. “Still cute as hell.”

“I’m aware.”

“I’ll tell you what, Mister Arrogant,” Izuku crouched down at the bedside to meet Katsuki’s gaze, amused by the hint of pink still in his cheeks. “As soon as you’re all better, you can take me on a date.”

“Oh, I can, can I?” Katsuki answered indignantly, the impact ruined by the coughing that followed.

“Yeah,” Izuku nodded. “You can. I’ll even let you choose where to go, so you can show off how amazing you are at planning dates.”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes, and Izuku’s smile stretched a little wider.

“Unless you want me to plan it, but you’d have to promise you won’t make fun of it or insult my ideas, and I know you won’t do that.”

“I-”

“I also know you wouldn’t mean it,” Izuku clarified quickly. “But you’d still do it, and that’s not what a first date should be like, so you’re gonna have to plan it yourself so you can’t complain.”

Katsuki huffed quietly, and Izuku offered him his little finger.

“Deal?”

Katsuki’s hand crept out of the blankets, his finger linking with Izuku’s, and he managed an awkward little nod to go with it.

“Deal.”

[Next Part]